It is important to know the viscosity of fluids in geologic formations for various geophysical reasons such as hydrocarbon exploration and production, carbon sequestration and geothermal production. In addition to knowing the viscosity, it is also important to know the viscosity of formation fluids at ambient conditions. For example, the potential for commercial success of a hydrocarbon well can be estimated by knowing the viscosity of the reservoir fluid at the pressure and temperature of the reservoir.
Boreholes are drilled deep into the earth to gain access to the formation and formation fluids. Once the fluids are accessed, tests on the fluids can be performed downhole. Typically, very high pressures and temperatures are encountered by test tools and instruments when they are disposed deep into the boreholes. Accurate measurements require these tools and instruments to function properly in the extreme downhole environment. Additionally, the tools and instruments must be compact in order to fit within the boreholes. Hence, it would be well received in the geophysical drilling industry if compact tools and instruments could be developed for measuring the viscosity of downhole fluids at downhole ambient conditions.